Federal Way council declines to act on Connections Health Solutions RFP endorsement after public safety, location concerns

The Federal Way City Council heard more than an hour of public comment and staff presentations on March 18 before deciding not to take a formal vote on a proposed resolution to endorse Connections Health Solutions’ application to King County to operate a South King County crisis care center at a site near the Federal Way Community Center.

The question before the council was whether to formally show the city’s support—via a council resolution—for an operator and a specific site at 322 South 330 Third Street that Connections proposed in its King County request for proposals (RFP). City Attorney Ryan Culler summarized the draft resolution and the mayor’s recommendation against adoption, saying the mayor’s concerns were the site’s proximity to “sensitive community use” and the city’s view that Federal Way already has hosted numerous regional facilities.

Why it matters: King County is funding crisis care centers through a multi-year levy and has prioritized proposals that demonstrate jurisdictional support. Kelly Ryder, King County’s director of Community and Human Services, told the council that “King County has committed that we will not fund any sites that do not have the support of the city jurisdiction where it would be cited.” That procurement requirement made council action on a support letter potentially dispositive for Connections’ application.

Public commenters and councilmembers split sharply on whether Federal Way should endorse the specific Connections proposal. Several residents urged the council to reject the proposal, citing public-safety and quality-of-life concerns for neighborhoods and downtown businesses. Kim Papini, a Federal Way resident, said she opposed the Connections proposal and argued the city would bear a…